Deaf Resource Centre on Wednesday in Abuja organized international week for the Deaf 2020 to mark International Day for Sign Languages with the theme: Sign Language for all.
Timothy Tinat, the Founder and CEO of Deaf Resource Centre and the President of Association of Sign Language Interpreters in NIgeria ( ASLIN) told The Qualitative Magazine TQM that he initiated Deaf Resource Centre in memory of his late brother who is deaf. The event is to mark International Day for Sign Language which is being celebrated every 23rd of September globally and the event was put together to create awareness about the plight of Deaf people.
Speaking further, he said that the level of acceptance of sign language has increased tremendously especially at this time of COVID-19, even at NTA 9pm news, there is presence of sign language interpreters and major events now, the services of sign language interpreters are contracted and hopefully October 1 broadcast of Mr. President, sign interpreting will accompany it.
Speaking on the challenges they are facing, he said that their challenges are connected to the discrimination the Deaf people are facing in NIgeria. He said that Deaf is not recognized as a disability so whatever that concerns them is not recognized by the public and even the government. In view of this, sign language interpreters are not recognized as professional, no good rewarding system to the work and it is seen as an academic exercise and not much importance is attached to it.
He proffered that the profession needs to be recognized like every other professions like lawyers, doctors and journalists.
“The public should know that there is over 10 million Deaf people in Nigeria so whatever you are organizing once it is a public event, sign language Interpreters should be made available”. he added.
He proposed that sign language should be recognized as one of the languages in Nigeria because it is the language of the deaf, they don’t speak our various mother tongue so every information should be made accessible for the Deaf. The media, every public events and it should be inculcated into school curriculum because if there is a lot of people in the society who can sign, the Deaf has been carried along. He gave a scenario of a city in Sweden called Orebro, it is hard to see anybody in the city who doesn’t know how to sign. So over there, the Deaf are fully mainstreamed.
“Sign language is a 21st Century skill, if you are a medical doctor and you can sign, it is a double pay for you. Imagine in a hospital of more than 20 medical doctors and you are the only who can sign, all the Deaf patients would be jostling for you” he concluded.
Clement Asuquo, the President, Rotary Club of Abuja, Jabi, one of the sponsors of the event, while speaking to The Qualitative Magazine TQM said that it is a joint project, Rotary of Abuja, Jabi and Gwarinpa. The Rotarian Constance Okeke, The President of Rotary Club of Abuja, Gwarinpa was absent because of an official engagement. So according to Asuquo, the two clubs came together to partner with Deaf Resource Centre to mark this day. He said that Rotary club is dedicated towards working for humanity and since the month of September is the month of literacy for the Club, they decided to partner with Deaf Resource Centre to provide school bags for children, back to school kits, looking at ways they can partner more with Deaf Resource Centre immediately after the Covid-19, they would go to the school to have a needs assessment and there, they can see how they can help more.
He also said that their interventions would cut across of all clusters of disability but, they are starting with Deaf Children, with the guidance of Deaf Resource Centre and The Albino Foundation who have also indicated interest to work with them, they will reach out to other children.
He also said that they are also working with the blind children, like the Rotary club of Abuja, Apo is working with the School for the Blind, Jabi, it is in phases, Jabi and Gwarinpa district are working with School for the Deaf Kuje after the meeting they will have with The Albino Foundation next week, more clusters of Disability may be included.
“We are partnering with these NGOs on Disability Matters because they understand the community more than us. We partnered with Deaf Resource Centre to link up with NCDC to create jingles with sign language interpreting content for COVID-19 awareness creation directed to the Deaf Community. NCDC would have not been able to reach out to the Deaf Community if not for the partnership we had with Deaf Resource Centre”, he added.
TQM learnt that the event continues on Thursday tomorrow with an awareness walk from Unity Fountain to Eagle square Abuja, to create awareness about the success and struggles of Deaf People and there would be a pamphlet which has some alphabets signifying some signs, learning sign language is fun so it is a pamphlet one would love to have.
More Pictures of The Event
